Composition of matter.



PATENTED NOV. 5, 1907.

M. AMS. COMPOSITION OF MATTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 8. 1907.

lNVENTOf? ATTORNEY.

I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC MAX AMs oF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES M. 'AMS, OF NEW YORK, N.- Y.

ooMrosr'r IoNoF MATTER.

Specification of Letters Batent.

Patented Nov. '5, 1907.

Application filed February 8.1907. f Serial No. 366.443.

'county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Composition of Matter, of which thefollowing is a specification. I

This invention relates to a composition of matter to serve as a packing to insure the hermetic sealing of sheet-metal containers, known in general parlance as tin cans, in which the separate parts of the canbody are secured to each other by what is known as the seaming or double-seaming process, without the employment of solder or other form of metallic cement.

' Of course, where the parts of the can are soldered together in the old way, the solder, as Well as uniting the parts together, at the same time naturally effects a hermetically-tight joint. In the more modern process of double-seaming, designed, among other things, to eliminate the use of solder, overlying layers of the edges of parts of the container designed to be secured together, are rolled or folded and pressed together to make an interlocking joint, which forms what may be termed a bead, comprising portions of both parts.

ture and sealing of such cans by machinery, for com- .mercial purposes, it is impracticable, of course, if not impossible, to give each can such individual attention as would be necessary to insure perfectsealing. I have found it most desirable, therefore, to coat one or the other of the two contacting surfaces which are to be subsequently rolledior folded together, with a composition or material primarily for the purpose of forming a yielding seat which will compensate for slight form and the inconvenience of handling and applying such a ring in the rapid sealing of cans by machinery. This packing should, therefore, be in the form of a coating upon one of the parts, and as a coating the composition, in its original state, must be adhesive, and

furthermore, of a nature-t0 adhere to tin, it being well known that the nature of tin plate is such that the more common forms of adhesive substances will not of thorn selves adhere thereto. Furthermore, it is desirable that this substance or composition, when applied to one or the other of said parts, should have substantially what is known' as a hard finish, particularly in order that the particular part coated may be handled .and manipulated independently without injury to the coating. Furthermore, while such hard finish is desirable, the applied composition should be, to a certain degree plastic and flexible in order to perform its primary function, as hereinbefore set forth. Moreover, the necessarily inherent qualities of such a com position make it necessary that it be composed, to a greater or less extent, of organic matter, which, as is Well known, is inmost cases normally subject to decomposition, or at least to deterioration as a useful agent upon long exposure. Inasmuch asthe separate parts of the can are each the subject of independent manufacture, and particularly in the case of tops designed to be secured to the body portion of the can after the latter has been filledwith the particular form of product which it is designed to contain, such parts are frequently retained in their unjoined or separate condition for a comparatively long period of time, it is desirable that this substance or composition be proof against mold or other form of chemical change which would result in deterioration of the substance or impairment of its .various properties. Furthermore, such a composition as the one in mind is likely to beand frequently is colorless when including no other ingredients than those necessary to give it the qualities hereinbefore suggested, and therefore when applied toone or the other of the parts to be joined provides no means of easy and ready distinction between coated and uncoated parts of the same form. Such composition should therefore be of a decided and distinctive color. Lastly, it is desirable'that the ingredients which enter into the composition, each contributing to provide a number of desirable properties, should be of such character and subjected to such process or treatment that they will combine to form a homogeneous mass, capable of easy handling and application, and each component substance non-interferent with the qualities of another or others.

For such a composition '1 havefound that-the concrete organic substance known as gelatin provides the best base. Gelatin in itself, however, while forming the body of the substance I have in mind and contributing to provide a suitably firm yet yielding packing which when placed between metal sheets in the manner suggested compensates for irregularities of the .metal-and minor imperfections in the machinery employed, requires to be combined with other ingredients, in order toprovide a composition which will possess one or more of the other desirable qualities hereinbefore referred to. I have found, however, that gelatin first dissolved in water, and preferably rain water, to a proper degree of consistency, to which is added a small amount of tartaric acid, will thereby acquire a higher degree of viscosity, or stickiness, and will cause the gelatinous substance to adhere to the part designed to be coated and to sufficiently retain these properties to similarly adhere to the part against which the coated part is intended to be placed for the folding or rolling of the superposed layers. I have furthermore found that the addition of a small amount of formic acid will give to this coating, when applied, the so-called hard finish, the desirab'le qualities of which I have hereinbefore referred to. I have. furthermore found that the addition of a small amount of glycerin will tend to preserve the composition, when applied, in a soft nistic to the properties of the other ingredients may obviously be'employed, I prefer the use of burnt sienna for thispurpose.

In the production of this composition, and referring to a substance which includes all of the ingredients above mentioned, or the equivalents thereof, I first dissolve the gelatin in warm water, care being taken not to impair the properties of the former by raising the Water to too high a temperature, much less boiling, and then add to the semifluid mass produced the ingredients referred to in preferably the older mentioned. I have found that in any given quantity of my composition, where all of the ingredients mentioned are included, that the propori ion of each should,

, for best results, be substantially as follows Rain water 66 per cent. Gelatin 3O 'lartaric acid l Formic acid..' a

Sulfuric acid i Glycerin 1 Burnt sienna 1% It will be apparent that for some purposes certain of the ingredients mentioned above may be dispensed with; for instance, if the composition is to be applied and the seaming or sealing process immediately follow, there would not be the same necessity for including a preservative, either for the inherent chemical nature of the composition or for its substantive qualities. Under some circumstances the gelatin itself might be found to possess sufficient viscosit'yor stickiness to make the addition of iartaric'acid unnecessary. The coloring matter, of course, is not necessary' sition all of the elements hereinbefore set forth;

Where this composition is made up for subsequent the purpose set forth.

use, the effects of evaporation will generally leave it in condition which unfits it for immediate application and use, butit may always be brought to proper or ready-to-use condition by gently heating, preferably by'direct application of steam, where steam is available. It may then be applied to the can-covers or other parts through the medium of a brush, if applied by hand, or in any other desired manner by hand or machinery.

In order to illustrate the manner in which my composition is preferably used and applied I have shown in the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, certain views, of which I Figure 1 is a plan-view of the end-portion or member of a cylindrical sheet-metal container to which such-a coating as the one hereinbefore described has been applied, and Fig. 2 is a central sectional view of two parts designed to be secured together, illustrating the function and location of my packing when applied to a container of this style.

.In these drawings I have shown the coating 3 applied in the form of an annular ring upon the top or bottom member 4 of the can-body, against which coated portion the flange 5 of the body-portion 6 of the can-body is pressed for the seaming operation. It will be obvious that these illustrations are merely illustrative of one of many ways of utilizing the composition here-' inbefore described, it being obvious that the can-body may be .of any desired configuration and that the coating may with equally satisfactory results be applied to either of the two members designed to be secured together.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A composition consisting of gelatin and tartaric acid, for the purpose set forth.

2. A composition consisting of a comparatively large G. A composition consisting of gelatin, tartaric acid and formic acid, for the purpose set forth.

7. A composition consisting of gelatin, tartaric acid, a surface-hardening agent and a physical preservative, [or

S). A composition consisting of gelatin, tartaric acid, glycerin and a surface-hardening agent, for the purpose set .forth.

5). A composition consisting of gelatin, tartaric acid. formic acid, and glycerin, for the purpose set Lorthf 1U. A composition consisting of a comparatively large proportion of diluted gelatin and comparatively small proportions of ic ucld, formic acid and glycerin, for the purpose set forth.

11. A composition consisting of gelatin, tartaric acid. a surfacehardening agent, a preservative, and a coloring agent, for the purpose set forth.

12. A composition consisting of formic acid, and a preservative, for the purpose set forth.

'13. A composition consisting of gelatin, tartaric acid, formic acid, and both chemical and physical preserving agents, for the purpose set forth.

1-1;. A composition consisting of gelatin, tartaric acid,

gelatin, tartaric acid,

formic acid, suitable preser,vative agents, and a coloring agent, for the purpose set forth.

'15. A composition consisfing ofgelatin, tartaric acid, formic acid, glycerin, sulfuric acid, and a coloring agent, for the purpose set forth.

16. A' composition consisting of a comparatively large proportion of diluted gelatin and comparatively small pro-' portions of tartaric acid, formic acid, glycerin and sulfuric acid, for the purpose set forth.

17. A composition consisting of a comparatively large proportion'of gelatin, comparatively, small proportions of tartaricacid, formic acidaglyceriu and sulfuric acid, and a coloring agent, for the purpose set forth. Y

18. A composition comprising the following ingredients in substantially the proportions stated: water 66 parts; gelatin 30 parts; tartaric acid, 1 part; formic acid, 2-

part; sulfuric acid, A part; gylcerin, I

part; sulfuricacid, 5 part; glycerin, 1 part; pose set forth. I i 19.- A composition comprising thefollowing ingredients in substantially the proportions stated: water, 66 parts; gelatin 30 parts;- tartaric acid, 1 part formic acid,

agent 1, parts; for the purpose set forth.

In testimony of the foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

. MAX AMS. Witnesses:

JOHN A. FILSNER,

I F. Wnunn;

for the pur-' 15 part coloring 2 0 

